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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27488290">Hold My Hand</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/DreamDrop/pseuds/DreamDrop'>DreamDrop</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The bodyguard and his protégé [9]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Captive Prince - C. S. Pacat</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>(very) light bondage, Insecurity, It's A Process, Jealousy, Kinda?, M/M, Making Up, Tumblr Prompt, mentions of relationship counseling, prompt, relationship troubles</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 21:07:59</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,240</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27488290</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/DreamDrop/pseuds/DreamDrop</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Three months after their monumental fight, Laurent and Damen are still picking up pieces. It's not easy and certainly not pleasant. And then there is the party.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Damen/Laurent (Captive Prince)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The bodyguard and his protégé [9]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1834633</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>39</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Hold My Hand</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hello my dear readers,<br/>This is for the prompt I got on tumbler from anonn12. I hope I could do your prompt justice.<br/>Have fun, I'd love to hear from you all.<br/>Stay healthy &lt;3</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Laurent should have known better. He shouldn’t have brought Damen with him. He absolutely deserved the twisting feeling in his gut and the snarling beast in his chest. The champagne prickled on his tongue and he was fairly tempted to just go up to the bar and demand a whole bottle.</p><p> </p><p>“Laurent? Are you alright?” Lazar grinned at him. He knew exactly what was wrong and Laurent scowled at him.</p><p>“Oh, you’re so cute. Are you jealous?” He waved in Damen’s general direction and Laurent’s scowl deepened. </p><p>“I am not jealous.”</p><p> </p><p>Something in his face had to betray him because Lazar’s grin widened and he leaned in closely. “Don’t worry, he gets pawed up all the time.”</p><p>Laurent‘s scowl deepened. The last months had been an exercise in patience and now he ran rather thin.</p><p> </p><p>After their big fight, where Laurent had visited Auguste for a month, they went to couple counseling. It had helped, rather a lot. They talked about their fears and anger. They still went after three months and Laurent was sure that was the best solution for them.</p><p> </p><p>Because now they stood here, in the decorated ballroom, surrounded by the rich and famous and he burned with jealousy as he saw yet another beautiful person touching Damen all over. And Damen letting them.</p><p> </p><p>He turned around and went to the bar. He was in need of something stronger.</p><p>"Laurent, what a pleasant surprise!“ He looked up and saw Aimeric walking towards him. Lazar sniggered when he saw Laurent’s face. "Not your evening, is it?“</p><p> </p><p>The blond man could only frown at him and then smile at Aimeric. It wasn‘t as if he didn‘t like the other man, he just didn’t have the slightest desire to talk to anyone right now. He wanted a drink, preferably a strong one, and then his quiet and peace.</p><p> </p><p>"Hello Aimeric. How are you?“ He was polite enough to smile at the younger man and shake his hand while he started to fawn over Laurent‘s latest product release. Laurent slowly maneuvered them closer to the bar. Aimeric prattled on and nothing could stop it, so Laurent did what he had wanted to do for a long time.</p><p> </p><p>“Aimeric, would you be interested to work at my company?”, he asked between two sentences and just enjoyed the blessed silence that followed. The bartender had provided him with his much needed drinks while Aimeric talked and he felt slightly tipsy. His acquaintance stared at him with mouth agape. “Me?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, you. You seem very invested in the idea and you have good qualifications and as I understand it, you don’t enjoy the work in your father’s company very much. I am offering you a job, but don’t misunderstand me, I’m not offering you privileges just because we know each other. You would have to work just as hard as anyone else.”</p><p> </p><p>Aimeric looked as if he would break into tears every moment. He nodded vehemently and shook Laurent’s hand enthusiastically. “Please, I’ll do anything. Your company would be the only one my father respects enough to let me go.”</p><p> </p><p>Laurent had known that and he almost felt guilty that he had waited so long to ask Aimeric to join him. He had known that the man was struggling and unable to escape on his own without risking the fallout with his whole family. “Good.”</p><p> </p><p>He saw Jord in a discussion with Halvik, one of their senior managers and inserted himself in their talk. “Sorry Halvik, but I need this one. He should give our newest member of staff a tour.”<br/>
The woman laughed a throaty laugh and nodded. “Let him do that. He looks so lost without something better to do than eat and drink the workaholic. You Veretians don’t know how to have fun.”</p><p> </p><p>Laurent chuckled. “I’d like to refute that, just for protocol. Jord, this is Aimeric, please prepare a contract for him first thing on Monday. I’ll send you the details. For now, please show him the building and explain the company history, you know what to do, don’t you?”</p><p> </p><p>Jord nodded. He looked immensely grateful to get away from the even that took place in their new company building. However, all of higher management was requested to make an appearance, so he couldn’t really just not show up.</p><p> </p><p>As soon as the two of them were out of earshot, Halvik threw a shrewd look in Laurent’s direction. “Did you do that because Guion’s niece is feeling Damen up right now or just because of your immense dislike for the man?”</p><p>Laurent smirked. “Why can’t I do it just out of the good of my heart?”</p><p> </p><p>Halvik laughed and patted Laurent on the back. “Because you never do something <em>just</em> out of the good of your heart except for your family. But we can pretend, boy. If that’s what you want.” She threw her drink back and then grunted with a nod towards Damen, who was still surrounded by much younger interns and daughters and sons of partners.</p><p> </p><p>“This one is a handful.” At her words, Lazar snorted softly, before resuming his blank face, the amusement still sparkling in his eyes.</p><p>Laurent sighed and nodded, she was right after all. And when Damen laughed and felt up the biceps of the newest intern with a clear fondness of fitness studio visits he couldn’t look on anymore. This was it.</p><p> </p><p>The intern, George, stared at Damen’s face with admiration and want. His expression displaying something like devotion, to this man he only met mere minutes before. With anyone else this behavior might have surprised Laurent, but not with Damen. The man inspired awestruck admiration to his left and right as if it was nothing.</p><p> </p><p>He was frustrated, jealous and Damen was a stupid idiot. Additionally, he was a bit less restrained than he normally might have been. So, he squared his shoulders, shook Halvik’s hand and made his way over to Damen.</p><p>“Lazar, you stay here. Damen, you come with me.” He nodded towards the interns, but looked straight at Damen as he ordered him around.</p><p> </p><p>Fortunately for his boyfriend, he didn’t question him, when Laurent directed them through the company building towards his designated office.</p><p>“And did you like George?”, he asked when the door clicked shut behind them.</p><p>“What?” Damen looked very surprised and rather startled by his question.</p><p> </p><p>“The guy you were touching all over, Damianos. Did you like him?”</p><p>It didn’t help that Damen seemed absolutely confused by what Laurent was referring to. “He asked me about my routine. It turns out he is a hobby instructor in a fitness center and wanted to talk about different approaches to motivation.”</p><p> </p><p>Laurent snorted. Yes, sure. “Damen, he was flirting with you.”</p><p>“But he is much too young! I’m at least fifteen years older than him.” Damen shook his head and stared at Laurent with a hunger in his eyes which made Laurent question if he had done it on purpose.</p><p> </p><p>He advanced on him with slow, long strides. “And? Age is just a number. I’m ten years younger too. You might have a preference for younger, awestruck guys.” He arched an eyebrow. “Maybe you like a man with stars in his eyes. Going to his knees for you. Putting his fate in your hands. Is that it?”</p><p> </p><p>He crowded Damen against the door. The bigger man stared down at him with a mix of anticipation, desperation and desire. His restrain clearly thinning.</p><p>Laurent pressed his whole front against him, feeling the hard lines of the man’s body against him.</p><p> </p><p>They hadn’t had sex for a very long time now. At first, Laurent had been still too hurt and Damen too cautious to instigate anything, now it was mostly routine, at least that's what Laurent suspected. But now, well, he doubted he could wait any longer. Not when this man provoked him of all things.</p><p> </p><p>“Tell me, Damianos. Did you do it on purpose?” He whispered in his ear and licked along the shell before biting his earlobe lightly.</p><p>“What?” Damen’s answer was breathy, his hips stuttering forward, but Laurent pressed him back</p><p>“Did you want to make me jealous?” He breathed along Damen’s jaw, his lips skimming the skin softly while his hands started loosening Damen’s tie.</p><p> </p><p>“I- no- I just- Gods, Laurent- You just look so gorgeous and I- you ignored me- the whole evening- I just wanted you to <em>look</em> at me.” Damen finally confessed in stutters. Laurent bit his throat lightly at his admission.</p><p>“See? That wasn’t that hard, was it?” He pressed one thigh between Damen’s legs. However, when the other man wanted to touch him, he tutted in disapproval. “Keep your hands to yourself or I’ll have to tie them up.”</p><p> </p><p>He pulled his face back, looking up to Damen with a question in his eyes. He got a nod in return. They could continue, Damen was on board with their little game. “Word?” He still needed to make sure.</p><p>“Apple juice.”</p><p>“Good.” Laurent smirked and leaned back in. “What do you think would George think if he knew what I’m going to do to you now? Would he blush? That would look adorable, wouldn’t it?”</p><p> </p><p>Damen whimpered and then, with a very deliberate movement, reached for Laurent again.</p><p>If that was how he wanted it to go, Laurent would absolutely provide with delight. He pulled back completely, ignoring Damen’s groan of protest.</p><p>“Not even able to follow simple directions. Now then, darling, this means I have to tie you up. Turn around.”</p><p> </p><p>Damen immediately did as he was told and Laurent pulled the suit jacket from his shoulders before tying his wrists with his tie. “Well, now I’m surprised. You’re able to follow instructions after all.” He stepped closer again, close enough that Damen would feel the heat his body was emanating. “But only those you <em>want</em> to follow, isn’t that right, darling?”</p><p> </p><p>Damen pressed his forehead against the door, his stance solid and powerful and still, he was quivering all over.</p><p>“Answer me.”</p><p>“Yes. Oh Laurent please-“</p><p>“Turn around. Look at me.” Damen did and Laurent shed his jacket too, draping it carefully over the desk.</p><p> </p><p>“Now, Damianos. We’re at quite the impasse, aren’t we? You going out there, purposefully wanting to make me jealous. What kind of behavior is that?” Laurent removed the cuff links and started to roll up his shirt slowly. First one arm then the other.</p><p> </p><p>“Did you hope for me to snap in the middle of the damn party, Damianos? Did you want to make me lose control? Tying you up on a chair right there and then fucking myself on your cock? Was that what you had hoped for while so blatantly flirting right before my eyes?”</p><p> </p><p>Laurent was very proud of Damen for staying silent for so long. Normally, the other man broke minutes after they started. But now his eyes said it all. He wanted to please Laurent, that much was clear.</p><p>“You may speak,” he said, before Damen would explode on the spot.</p><p>“I just wanted you to look at me. I wanted you to touch me, Laurent. Please.”</p><p> </p><p>Laurent smiled while he stepped closer and put one hand over the noticeable bulge in Damen’s trousers. “Like that?”</p><p>“Yes. Gods, I missed you so much. When I thought I had lost you for good- Laurent, that was the worst moment of my life. I’m so sorry.”</p><p> </p><p>“However, you didn’t. I came back, didn’t I?” Laurent whispered softly. Right against his lips.</p><p>Damen sucked in a breath. His next exhale hitched in his throat and then a tear escaped the corner of his eye.</p><p>Surprised, Laurent pulled back, which made Damen protest immediately. “No, don’t go, please.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m not going anywhere, but maybe we need something else after all.” Laurent tugged at the knot which dissolved immediately and Damen’s hands were free. Being this emotionally vulnerable didn’t mix well with being physically vulnerable at the same time for Damen. They had made the messy discovery early on. At least if it wasn’t completely voluntary.</p><p> </p><p>“I am so sorry. I know I was the most stupid idiot on earth and I should have prioritized our relationship from the beginning. You should never have to do what you had to.” Damen rambled on while reaching out to Laurent immediately and pulling him in close. Their arousal completely forgotten.</p><p> </p><p>“We talked about this, Damen. We talked about it for weeks now. We need to put it behind us.” Laurent pulled his fingers through the dark curls from where Damen had his forehead pressed against his shoulder.</p><p>“But whenever you look at me, you look so hurt and angry still. And I can’t do anything to make it stop. Gods, Laurent, I love you so much and it’s killing me that I messed up.”</p><p> </p><p>“I just need a bit more time. We’re doing much better, aren’t we? I love you and while I’m still a bit hurt and a bit angry, I’m able to leave it behind. It’s in the past. We both are going to do better. We have help.”</p><p>“You’re right. I’m sorry. I just- I can’t stand the thought of you leaving again.” Damen clung to him as if he was a life line.</p><p> </p><p>Laurent sighed, pressed a kiss to Damen’s cheek and replied, “I’m not leaving again. We're going to be okay.” They stood there for a long time, in a tight embrace.</p>
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